Russia is expanding its recruitment of African nationals for its war against Ukraine, increasingly targeting some of the continent’s poorest countries as Moscow seeks fresh manpower for frontline operations, according to a report reviewed by Bloomberg.
A Ukrainian intelligence presentation cited by the news organisation indicates a sharp increase in recruitment from countries including Burundi and Zimbabwe, where the number of men signing contracts with Russia’s armed forces has risen dramatically this year.
Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Cameroon have also been identified as countries experiencing significant increases.
The figures underscore the growing international dimension of Russia’s war effort and raise concerns about whether vulnerable recruits are being enticed by promises of lucrative employment, substantial signing bonuses and Russian citizenship, only to find themselves deployed to the battlefield.
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The recruitment drive comes amid mounting allegations that Russian intermediaries have exploited economic hardship and used deceptive offers of civilian employment to attract foreign nationals into military service.
On October 26, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said Russian authorities had trafficked people from 29 countries, using deception or coercion to recruit them into the Russian armed forces.
The allegations suggest that the recruitment of foreign fighters is not simply a matter of individuals volunteering for military service, but may also involve systematic exploitation of people seeking better economic prospects abroad.
Poorer countries increasingly in focus
The scale of the reported increase is striking. According to figures in the Ukrainian intelligence presentation cited by Bloomberg, Russia recruited 699 men from Burundi between January 1 and September 30, compared with 30 during the whole of 2025.
The corresponding number for Zimbabwe reached 530, up from 65 last year.
The figures point to a widening recruitment effort across Africa, where economic hardship can make promises of high wages, bonuses and a route to Russian citizenship particularly attractive.
Families of some recruits have alleged that men were offered civilian jobs in areas such as catering and transport before being drawn into military service. An Amnesty International report cited in the source material has also raised concerns about recruitment practices.
The distinction between voluntary enlistment and recruitment through deception is central to the allegations. A foreign national who knowingly signs up for military service faces a different set of circumstances from someone who travels abroad expecting civilian employment and is subsequently sent to fight.
For the Kremlin, the reported recruitment drive offers a potential source of additional manpower without relying exclusively on domestic recruitment. For the countries from which the men are drawn, it has become an increasingly sensitive political and diplomatic issue.
Russia has not publicly acknowledged the alleged scale of its recruitment of Africans for the war. The Kremlin has maintained that it has sufficient human resources to sustain its military campaign.
‘Detention, beatings and threats to kill’
The most serious allegations concern what happens after foreign recruits reach Russia and are sent to the front.
According to the UN commission’s findings cited in the source material, Africans recruited into Russian military service were deployed mainly in assault operations and frontline advances.
The commission also reported that commanders punished those who refused orders, with alleged methods including detention, beatings and threats to kill. Recruits were reportedly monitored by drones during operations to prevent them from retreating.
If substantiated, the allegations would point to a system in which men attracted by promises of employment or financial security could find themselves trapped in military operations far removed from the opportunities they had expected.
The commission has called on Russia to end the practice and hold those responsible for recruitment accountable.
Ukraine has said it would release captured foreign nationals only as part of exchanges involving Ukrainian military personnel held by Russia, adding another complication for families seeking the return of recruits sent to fight.
African governments push back
Governments across the continent have begun responding to the reported recruitment activity, amid growing fears that their citizens are being drawn into a war in which they have no direct stake.
Botswana and South Africa have publicly warned their citizens against accepting apparently lucrative work opportunities in Russia. Zimbabwe has arrested two Russian nationals suspected of recruiting people for military service.
Kenya and Ghana have also directly appealed to Moscow to stop the activity, according to Bloomberg. Kenyan politicians have said that at least 1,000 Kenyans were recruited by Russia, although that figure is separate from the country-by-country numbers in the Ukrainian intelligence presentation.
Kenya and South Africa had previously attempted to prevent men from travelling to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The responses reflect a growing challenge for African governments: protecting citizens seeking employment abroad while confronting recruitment networks linked to a major international conflict.
The reported activity also threatens to complicate relations with Moscow, which has sought to strengthen its political, economic and security ties across Africa.
Recruitment reaches Madagascar
Madagascar has emerged as another potential source of recruits. Bloomberg reported that Russia had begun recruiting fighters there for the first time since the full-scale war against Ukraine began in 2022.
The development follows a 2025 coup that brought a military government to power in Madagascar and was followed by closer ties with Moscow, according to the report.
The reported expansion into additional countries suggests that Russia’s search for foreign recruits is continuing to evolve, even as allegations mount over the methods used to secure their participation.
Ukraine says it has identified 45,959 foreign nationals from 151 countries who signed contracts with the Russian military, including 5,451 Africans. Those figures represent Ukraine’s assessment of foreign recruitment and should not be taken as an independently verified count of combatants.
The broader picture is of a war increasingly reaching beyond Europe’s borders, drawing men from countries thousands of miles from the fighting.
For some recruits, the promise may have been a salary, a civilian job or a new life abroad. The allegations now facing Russia concern how many instead found themselves on the frontline — and whether they had understood the risks before they arrived.
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